The Hardest Hitters

[skaj]

Which WTA players are/were hitting the fastest groundstrokes, consistently?

Here is the top 20 I came up with:

1.Venus Williams
2. Mary Pierce
3. Karolina Sprem
4. Ana Ivanovic
5. Lindsay Davenport
6. Aravane Rezai
7. Madison Keys
8. Serena Williams
9. Monica Seles
10. Petra Kvitova
11. Mirjana Lucic
12. Jelena Ostapenko
13. Maria Sharapova
14. Julia Goerges
15. Camila Giorgi
16. Jennifer Capriati
17. Kim Clijsters
18. Sloane Stephens
19. Garbine Muguruza
20. Dinara Safina

 

[btsjungkook]

No Li Na? Her ballstriking was one of the best when she was on.

 

[upchuck]

Madison Keys is number 1, I'm pretty sure. Number 2 is probably Petra Kivtova.

When she wants to Serena could hit a ball harder than everyone else, but she doesn't hit as consistently hard as people think.

 

[Bender]

Keys for raw mph from behind the baseline. She hits faster shots than most men on average.

In terms of highest mph on any shot, surely this has to go to peak Venus and Lisicki.

 

[TagUrIt]

Before reading this article I was going to guess Sabalenka. It's bit dated, but considering the 2020 season was scrapped, it could hold up.

Dayana Yastremska Hits Harder Than You

Italian translation at settesei.it At the 2019 Australian Open, tennis balls have more to fear than ever before. Serena Williams is back and appears to be in top form, Maria Sharapova is playing we…

www.tennisabstract.com

 

[NoleFam]

Keys for raw mph from behind the baseline. She hits faster shots than most men on average.

In terms of highest mph on any shot, surely this has to go to peak Venus and Lisicki.

Venus was on the cover of USA Today in her peak and I think it was around 2001 when she dominating basically. They said she hits the ball so hard that it screams when it goes across the net. LOL. I always remembered that line.

 

[Dolgopolov85]

Among current, particularly young, players, Anisimova and Yastremska hit hardest. Yastremska's forehand cross court and backhand down the line are screamers. It would be interesting to compare their RPM rate with Ostapenko's as they rely more on RHS than on hitting very flat with very low topspin to generate that pace.

 

[travlerajm]

Steffi?

 

[Dolgopolov85]

Steffi?

Should be in there surely. I thought initially the OP's logic was to exclude her because she only hit hard through the forehand side. But there's Georges in the list and she doesn't hit a fearsome backhand.

 

[Shaolin]

Georgi is way up there. All she knows how to do is go for huge winners.

 

[skaj]

Should be in there surely. I thought initially the OP's logic was to exclude her because she only hit hard through the forehand side. But there's Georges in the list and she doesn't hit a fearsome backhand.

Not as fearsome as her forehand but still hit pretty hard, unlike Graf's backhand which was usually sliced.
Mirza is a similar example but Julia's backhand had more pace, if I remember well.

 

[Dolgopolov85]

Not as fearsome as her forehand but still hit pretty hard, unlike Graf's backhand which was usually sliced.
Mirza is a similar example but Julia's backhand had more pace, if I remember well.

I mean it's an OK backhand which she can rip once in a while but there is a reason she tries to hit everything with the forehand as much as possible. It's kinda odd to leave out the player who pretty much started the power tennis trend in WTA. In HER time, Graf did have one of the biggest forehands in the game. THE biggest up to the early 90s and among the biggest ones right up to retirement.

 

[tennis_pro]

Stepanek, Kokkinakis

 

[Dolgopolov85]

Stepanek, Kokkinakis

Sorry to tell you that, mate.

 

[AM75]

Ostapenko, Keys and Pliskova

 

[skaj]

I mean it's an OK backhand which she can rip once in a while but there is a reason she tries to hit everything with the forehand as much as possible. It's kinda odd to leave out the player who pretty much started the power tennis trend in WTA. In HER time, Graf did have one of the biggest forehands in the game. THE biggest up to the early 90s and among the biggest ones right up to retirement.

Again, Goerges' backhand faster than Graf's backhand, ergo Julia is there, Steffi isn't.

 

[Deleted member 770948]

Hingis.
17-17 head-to-head vs. Williams.

11-10 vs. Venus
6-7 vs. Serena

 

[Dolgopolov85]

Again, Goerges' backhand faster than Graf's backhand, ergo Julia is there, Steffi isn't.

But Graf's forehand was bigger relative to the tour compared to Goerges on either wing vis a vis the tour.

 

[McGradey]

Osaka for current game surely
Some of her serve speeds in Melbourne last year were around the same as Nadal’s

 

[Fedinkum]

I enjoy seeing Keys blasting those forehands. She is a great striker.

 

[skaj]

But Graf's forehand was bigger relative to the tour compared to Goerges on either wing vis a vis the tour.

Just because Julia did not play in the 80s, it doesn't make her forehand less powerful than Steffi's. Graf could have an honorable mention for being the first to hit one stroke as powerful as she did, but her forehand and backhand combined were not in the same league as those of the players in my list.

 

[Dolgopolov85]

Just because Julia did not play in the 80s, it doesn't make her forehand less powerful than Steffi's. Graf could have an honorable mention for being the first to hit one stroke as powerful as she did, but her forehand and backhand combined were not in the same league as those of the players in my list.

lol, what does 80s have to do with it? Defensive, much?

 

[Deleted member 22147]

I don't know but Davenport had the most effortless looking power, so smooth.

 

[skaj]

lol, what does 80s have to do with it? Defensive, much?

Compared to the the rest of the field Graf's forehand was super powerful back then, Goerges' would've been too in that era.

Not sure what defense you are talking about, both were aggressive players although Steffi was very effective on the defense too.

 

[Dolgopolov85]

Compared to the the rest of the field Graf's forehand was super powerful back then, Goerges' would've been too in that era.

Not sure what defense you are talking about, both were aggressive players although Steffi was very effective on the defense too.

I said YOU are defensive. Who said anything about Goerges not being from the 80s. Yeah, no **** Sherlock, a modern forehand would be effective in the 80s. Big whop! Compared to the field, Goerges' forehand is hardly as lethal as Graf's was back then.

 

[skaj]

I said YOU are defensive. Who said anything about Goerges not being from the 80s. Yeah, no **** Sherlock, a modern forehand would be effective in the 80s. Big whop! Compared to the field, Goerges' forehand is hardly as lethal as Graf's was back then.

You said that compared to the field Goerges' forehand is hardly as lethal as Graf's was back then. I replied that Julia's forehand would be as lethal in that field(the 80s), at least in terms of power which is the topic here.
I don't know why did you conclude from that that "I am defensive", I don't even know why are you discussing me here, I am not the topic of this thread.

 

[Dolgopolov85]

You said that compared to the field Goerges' forehand is hardly as lethal as Graf's was back then. I replied that Julia's forehand would be as lethal in that field(the 80s), at least in terms of power which is the topic here.
I don't know why did you conclude from that that "I am defensive", I don't even know why are you discussing me here, I am not the topic of this thread.

You said "just because she is not from the 80s". Again, who said anything about the 80s? Graf played for nearly two decades anyway, not like just the 80s defines her career. And yes, I do say that TODAY in TODAY'S FIELD, Goerges' forehand is not what Graf's was in the 80s. The meaning of that should be easy enough to understand.

 

[skaj]

You said "just because she is not from the 80s". Again, who said anything about the 80s? Graf played for nearly two decades anyway, not like just the 80s defines her career. And yes, I do say that TODAY in TODAY'S FIELD, Goerges' forehand is not what Graf's was in the 80s. The meaning of that should be easy enough to understand.

Yes, the 80s field in which Graf's forehand looked more lethal than Goerges' does in 21st century field, because there were not nearly as many powerful forehands back then as there are today(in the 90s field there were significantly more powerful forehands than there were in the 80s - Seles, Pierce, Capriati, Davenport, the Williamses later...).

 

[Moose Malloy]

In 1999, I would bet Graf would still top a poll if players were asked who has the best forehand in the game today. I believe Graf hit more winners than Seles every time they played. Hell, she had more groundstroke winners than Venus(even off the bh) when they played at '99 Wimbledon. Really weird not to include her in this poll.

 

[skaj]

In 1999, I would bet Graf would still top a poll if players were asked who has the best forehand in the game today. I believe Graf hit more winners than Seles every time they played. Hell, she had more groundstroke winners than Venus(even off the bh) when they played at '99 Wimbledon. Really weird not to include her in this poll.

It's about the pace, not the winners and overall quality of the shots.

 

[Beacon Hill]

Tracy Austin.

 

[JaoSousa]

In terms of sheer power, Serena.

In terms of being only known for hitting the ball really hard, Davenport.

 

[NoleFam]

In 1999, I would bet Graf would still top a poll if players were asked who has the best forehand in the game today. I believe Graf hit more winners than Seles every time they played. Hell, she had more groundstroke winners than Venus(even off the bh) when they played at '99 Wimbledon. Really weird not to include her in this poll.

I would love to see the stats also where she hit more winners than Seles more times than not because that is doubtful.

 

[Antónis]

On the guys side, I have a name for you: Fernando Gonzalez.
Saw him live from on a small court where the sits are very close (against Jose Acasuso, who was a very hard hitter too), and the guy hits like he hated the ball. Without a doubt, the hardest forehand I ever saw live, and all the other shots were very hard too (he often served above the 200 kms mark).

I have to mention Safin here, specially on the backhand side, and Stan the Man, he hits a hard ball too

 

[Dolgopolov85]

Yes, the 80s field in which Graf's forehand looked more lethal than Goerges' does in 21st century field, because there were not nearly as many powerful forehands back then as there are today(in the 90s field there were significantly more powerful forehands than there were in the 80s - Seles, Pierce, Capriati, Davenport, the Williamses later...).

Neither Capriati nor Seles' forehands were more powerful than Graf. Seles was more consistent, yes, but Graf had higher peak power. Davenport, Pierce and Williams sisters yes but even then Graf's was always among the top five forehands right until she retired. And it doesn't matter what the field was then because somebody had to start off the power game in the first place. It was Graf who did that.

It's not that big of a deal. We have a right to ask you how you can leave out the player known for her forehand from a list of hardest hitters if you are going to include glorified also rans like Goerges.

 

[Dolgopolov85]

I would love to see the stats also where she hit more winners than Seles more times than not because that is doubtful.

No, it's not. Here's 92 RG and W, both matches she hit more winners than Seles.

http://www.tennisabstract.com/charting/19920606-W-Roland_Garros-F-Monica_Seles-Steffi_Graf.html

http://www.tennisabstract.com/charting/19920704-W-Wimbledon-F-Steffi_Graf-Monica_Seles.html

Even in her straight loss to Seles at RG in 90, she hit slightly more winners.

http://www.tennisabstract.com/charting/19900609-W-Roland_Garros-F-Steffi_Graf-Monica_Seles.html

It wasn't EVERY time, that I give, but no, really, more often than not, she did hit more winners than Seles. Of the matches for which I could find stats on tennis abstract, only in two - AO 93 and USO 95 - did I find Seles shading her in winners. I would count AO 99 right away in that category safely because Graf's second set in that match was a train wreck of UEs. But more often than not, Graf did hit more winners than Seles.

 

[skaj]

Neither Capriati nor Seles' forehands were more powerful than Graf. Seles was more consistent, yes, but Graf had higher peak power. Davenport, Pierce and Williams sisters yes but even then Graf's was always among the top five forehands right until she retired. And it doesn't matter what the field was then because somebody had to start off the power game in the first place. It was Graf who did that.

It's not that big of a deal. We have a right to ask you how you can leave out the player known for her forehand from a list of hardest hitters if you are going to include glorified also rans like Goerges.

What does that have to do with what I have written? I said - more powerful forehands in the 90s than there were in the 80s, not Capriati and Seles' forehands more powerful than Graf.
The field matters for what we were talking about, and the topic which is not who started of the power game in the first place, but who was the hardest hitter.

Yes, you have the right to ask, since you can't understand it on your own, and I have the right to explain it to you in my answer, which I did.

 

[NoleFam]

No, it's not. Here's 92 RG and W, both matches she hit more winners than Seles.

http://www.tennisabstract.com/charting/19920606-W-Roland_Garros-F-Monica_Seles-Steffi_Graf.html

http://www.tennisabstract.com/charting/19920704-W-Wimbledon-F-Steffi_Graf-Monica_Seles.html

Even in her straight loss to Seles at RG in 90, she hit slightly more winners.

http://www.tennisabstract.com/charting/19900609-W-Roland_Garros-F-Steffi_Graf-Monica_Seles.html

It wasn't EVERY time, that I give, but no, really, more often than not, she did hit more winners than Seles. Of the matches for which I could find stats on tennis abstract, only in two - AO 93 and USO 95 - did I find Seles shading her in winners. I would count AO 99 right away in that category safely because Graf's second set in that match was a train wreck of UEs. But more often than not, Graf did hit more winners than Seles.

I stand corrected. I still would like to see the official stats though since TA can be far off at times.

 

[skaj]

Today Serena said it's Davenport.